How do I raise concerns about an unfair internal promotion?

[southern82]

I work for my local town council, and recently a colleague whom I started with has been given a different job with a much higher pay grade.
He hasn't applied for the job, nor interviewed.
He told me they said to not tell anyone he's getting more money. He's also got no experience either in this role. He has gone to work in health and safety and has no clue what he's doing.
I was given serving the committee members tea and coffee and he was given a new job with more money.
This feels completely unfair, how do I broach the subject with management?

Or maybe you will be seen as someone with the gumption to call out bullshit.

This is great advice @southern82

I’m surprised there are still committee meetings in person and they get served tea & coffee!

I think you’re right to be annoyed. You could ask at your appraisal for opportunities for secondments or promotions like your colleague. This might be less confrontational.

This thread should be used as a case study to show why the public sector is such poor value to those who fund it.

I’m just thankful I work in the private sector. I couldn’t be bothered with crap like this. It’s pathetic.

Yes "life is unfair" is a rubbish excuse for acting in an unfair way. Women wouldn't have the vote if everyone had just accepted "life is unfair."

People on here don't seem to understand that this is a local council and there are strict rules about hiring that are there to ensure that public spending has sufficient oversight and the best salaries aren't just handed over to someone's mate.

I interviewed 5 times for various council roles and I didn't get a single one because I didn't get enough points compared to the external candidates. I worked there as a contractor for years, applying for the roles I was actively covering at the time, but because I was only in my 20s I lacked the experience of older candidates and lost our to them dispute my managers liking me and being very contrite about offering the job elsewhere.

Pp is right though. Don't raise it in your review, that will make you look bad. Do raise it with the union.

You won't get far. Fair or not.

Are you interested in the job? You need to go from a point of ‘I would like to be considered’ or even regraded in your own role etc, you can’t just say you’re unhappy he was chosen.

There isn’t but there is. Civil service policies pretty much mandate that jobs have to be advertised. Legislation like the Local Government and Housing Act says that local authority appointments should be strictly on merit. While it doesn’t ban direct appointment, it does strongly recommend that this is done via open competition so the best candidate is appointed. VFM for the tax payer etc. In my department we have to go through a painful approval process, and sometimes get ministerial sign off for appointments outside recruitment. Secondments can get around it but as public sector HR I might take it seriously that a woman has been given the role of making tea while a man with (allegedly) no one experience has been given a more senior role without fair process.